Discord bot won't start: Trouble with Python project

Other Questions Discord bot
1

Hey everyone! I’m working on a Discord bot to practice Python, but I’m stuck. When I try to run it, I get an error about missing ‘intents’. Here’s what I’ve got:

# discord_bot.py
import random

def process_command(cmd):
    cmd = cmd.lower()
    if cmd == 'hi':
        return 'Hello!'
    elif cmd == 'dice':
        return f'You rolled a {random.randint(1,6)}'
    elif cmd == '!info':
        return 'This bot is under construction.'

# bot_runner.py
import discord
import discord_bot

async def reply(msg, user_input, private):
    try:
        response = discord_bot.process_command(user_input)
        if private:
            await msg.author.send(response)
        else:
            await msg.channel.send(response)
    except Exception as e:
        print(f'Error: {e}')

def start_bot():
    TOKEN = 'YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE'
    bot = discord.Client()

    @bot.event
    async def on_ready():
        print(f'{bot.user} is online!')

    @bot.event
    async def on_message(msg):
        if msg.author == bot.user:
            return
        
        content = str(msg.content)
        if content.startswith('!'):
            await reply(msg, content[1:], private=True)
        else:
            await reply(msg, content, private=False)

    bot.run(TOKEN)

# main.py
import bot_runner

if __name__ == '__main__':
    bot_runner.start_bot()

I’m getting this error:

TypeError: Client.__init__() missing 1 required keyword-only argument: 'intents'

What am I doing wrong? How can I fix this and get my bot running? Thanks for any help!

2

I ran into a similar issue when I was starting with Discord bots. The error you’re seeing is because Discord now requires you to specify intents when initializing the client. It’s a security measure they implemented.

To fix this, you need to import and set up intents. In your bot_runner.py, add this near the top:

import discord
intents = discord.Intents.default()
intents.message_content = True

Then, when you create your client, pass the intents:

bot = discord.Client(intents=intents)

This should resolve the error. Just make sure you’re using a recent version of discord.py (2.0+). If you’re still having trouble, double-check your Discord Developer Portal to ensure you’ve enabled the necessary intents for your bot there too.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need any clarification.

3

I encountered this exact issue recently. The problem stems from a recent Discord API update that mandates explicit declaration of intents for bots. To resolve it, you’ll need to modify your bot_runner.py file.

Add these lines at the top:

import discord
intents = discord.Intents.default()
intents.message_content = True

Then, update your Client initialization:

bot = discord.Client(intents=intents)

This should resolve the ‘missing intents’ error. Make sure you’re using discord.py version 2.0 or higher. Also, don’t forget to enable the necessary intents in your Discord Developer Portal for the bot. If you’re still facing issues after these changes, double-check your token and permissions.

4

hey there! i had the same problem last week. its cos discord changed stuff. u gotta add intents now. in ur bot_runner.py, put this at the top:

import discord
intents = discord.Intents.default()
intents.message_content = True

then change ur bot line to:
bot = discord.Client(intents=intents)

should work after that. good luck!